Danny Veltri Named Hell's Kitchen's Top Chef
Hell’s Kitchen, 2 Chefs to Winner
The May 14, 2009 episode of Hell’s Kitchen, 2 Chefs to Winner, was the season five finale. The decision was down to Paula and Danny, and several of the eliminated chefs returned to help their former competitors battle.
Prep Time
Danny decided to go with fish for his main entrée. He laid down the line early.
“I am the chef. Get used to calling me chef,” Danny said.
Ben was more than happy to help his former competitor win the game, but Giovanni and Carol felt otherwise. Giovanni was upset to be back at Hell’s Kitchen, and Carol wanted Paula to win because of “female power.”
Paula was focused less on her menu and more on controlling Lacey. Andrea and LA were also feeling uneasy about working with Lacey. She told the team she wouldn’t cause any trouble, but to the camera she said if they weren’t going to support her, she wasn’t going to support them.
Paula put Lacey on the dessert station, and she kept a close eye on her. Thank God she did because the first set of crème brulees curdled. Lacey could not care less.
The Menus
Each chef prepared a tasting of their menu for Chef Ramsay before dinner service.
Chef Ramsay loved Paula’s appetizer, but he told her she couldn’t serve the crème brulee because of its texture, and he was worried the halibut was too dry.
Chef Ramsay was worried about Danny’s duck salad. The duck was a little pink, and he told him to really watch the danger. He also told him his poached pear was undercooked.
He was impressed with both menus, and Chef Ramsay said it was a tie at that moment.
The Restaurants
After the menus were shown, each chef took Chef Ramsay on a tour of his or her restaurant.
Paula’s restaurant was calming and full of bright colors. Danny’s restaurant was bolder in color, and he had an ocean theme on the wall. Chef Ramsay approved both restaurants, but he seemed to like Paula’s more.
Final Dinner Service
At the final dinner service Paula had more trouble with Andrea than with Lacey. Andrea had never cooked halibut, and she kept burning it. Andrea also burnt scallops.
Lacey did eventually have her breakdown, though. She freaked out on the garnish station when she forgot a table. Paula started pushing her, and she almost completely shut down. LA tried to help, but she couldn’t stop yelling about everyone yelling at her.
On Danny’s side Carol and Giovanni were giving less than stellar performances. Carol was messing up the lobster, and Giovanni cared so little than he was only giving about 35 percent, if even that.
Eventually, Paula got her confidence and her voice, and Danny’s team started to pick up their performances, and things finished pretty well. Danny’s service was finished well, but Chef Ramsay was impressed with both performances. He said it was the best finale Hell’s Kitchen had ever had.
And the Winner Is…
Chef Ramsay invited Paula and Danny in to his office. He told them he was proud of them, and they had both done a terrific job.
The final two chefs stepped up to their doors, hugged, then placed their hands on the knobs. When they turned the handle, only Danny’s opened. Danny was the winner of Hell’s Kitchen, a job at the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey and a $250,000 salary. He was unbelievably shocked and excited.
Chef Ramsay said he chose Danny because he had shown the most growth since the beginning of the season.
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